BEIJING, Aug. 12 -- The National Endowment for
Democracy's financial support to Xinjiang separatist organizations led by Rebiya
Kadeer is a direct interference in China's internal affairs, says an article in
Global Times.

Excerpt:

There is evidence to prove that the National
Endowment for Democracy (NED) of the US has for years been sponsoring separatist
activities in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, led by Rebiya Kadeer,
chairman of World Uygur Congress (WUC). A staff in NED, who didn't want to be
named, has said the NED plans to grant more than $500,000 to WUC this year.

Xinjiang separatist Kadeer has had close connections
with the NED for a long time. In 2005, with the help of NED president Carl
Gershman, Rebiya fled to the US after Xinjiang authorities released her on bail
for medical treatment on the promise that she would never do anything against
her motherland China. Later, she became president of the International Uygur
Human Rights and Democracy Foundation (IUHRDF). Gershman also offered the
initial funds to set up the foundation.

After the July 5 riots in Urumqi, two US congressmen
advanced a proposal and pressured the US government to support Kadeer. It was
Gershman again who introduced them to Kadeer.

Facts show the NED has been offering financial
support to "East Turkistan" organizations operating from abroad since 2004. Till
June 2009, it had given about $2.24 million to them.

The separatist organizations usually get the NED
funds under two heads: directly sponsored "programs" or in the name of "private
funding". Apart from supporting separatist activities, the funds have also been
used on Washington political lobbyists as "political investment".

A Xinjiang official said the funds Kadeer got from
the NED have been directly related to the troubles in the region.

An article in the Canadian think tank, Global
Research, says Washington's interference in Xinjiang have nothing to do with
human rights. Instead, it is aimed at the strategic importance of Xinjiang in
economic and energy resources fields. These indicate that the US government
wants to interfere in China's internal affairs by supporting Xinjiang separatist
activities in the name of NED.